House of York

Surviving Letters of the Countess of Salisbury

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Countess of Salisbury We all know the tragic end of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. If you are new to Tudor history I'd highly recommend reading the guest article by Alan Freer called, "The Last Plantagenet" to get yourself better acquainted with her life, and grizzly execution. Margaret was the daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence. George was the brother of both King Edward IV and Richard III. This letter is written by Margaret Pole, Countess of [More]

The Life and Love of the Pretender

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During the reign of King Henry VII, the "Pretender," Perkin Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. At the time it was very significant for Warbeck to come forward as the Duke of York because there were still many Yorkist supporters -- Henry VII had only reigned for a short time and some noblemen and subjects alike had hoped for a York resurrection. If he were indeed the son of the late King Edward IV the throne of [More]

Queens: The Three Elizabeths

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From 1461 to 1603 there were three Elizabeths with the title of Queen - granted two were Queen consorts and one was Queen regnant, but regardless, for the sake of this post they were all queens. Queen Elizabeth Woodville (c. 1437 - 1492) - the consort of King Edward IV Queen Elizabeth of York (1466 - 1503) - the consort of King Henry VII Queen Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) - Queen regnant of England The first Elizabeth, Elizabeth Woodville, was a commone [More]

Elizabeth Tudor: Lost English Princess

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Part 6: Elizabeth Tudor: Lost English Princess, 4th child and 2nd daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.  "2 July 1492 - birth of Elizabeth Tudor, Princess of England and daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, at Sheen Palace. The fourth child and second daughter, Elizabeth's short life is poorly documented and little is known of this tragic princess. As a younger sister to Arthur, Margaret and the future Henry VIII, it is likely she spent the majority o [More]

The Redemption of Elizabeth of York

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Part 1: Elizabeth of York, mother of Arthur, Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, Edmund & Katherine Tudor In 1485 Henry Tudor took the throne of England from Richard III on the battlefield -- with this win he successfully ended the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York, and Henry Tudor's mother, Margaret Beaufort, had made an arrangement for Elizabeth of York to wed Henry if he won at the Battle of Bosworth against Elizabeth's [More]

The Tower of London – the Most Haunted Castle in England

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The Tower of London could be called the most haunted place in London as it has seen hundred of executions. Some justified, some not. Many of the prisoners who entered the Tower only left to go to their execution. Most executions were public events and were well attended. Seems a little morbid now. Traitors could expect to be hung, drawn and quartered - the most inhumane of executions - the prisoner was hung and cut down still alive, their heart and entrails removed and [More]

Wars of the Roses – Beginning to the Battle of Towton

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When it comes to the Wars of the Roses I am most attracted to it because it's cousins fighting over the throne of England. Richard, 3rd Duke of York attempted to take the throne from his cousin Henry VI but failed. Eventually his son, Edward, Earl of March would succeed as Edward IV, but not without many battles of his own. These wars are what eventually led to the Tudor Dynasty - the one my site is primarily based on. The beginning: Edward III's descendants are behind [More]

York Sisters in a Tudor World (Guest Post)

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York Sisters in a Tudor World Guest Article written by Samantha Wilcoxson Much is written about the York remnant after Henry Tudor came to power in 1485. The fate of men like John de la Pole and his brothers is well documented, but what about the women who suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of power? No one knew this struggle more than the daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. They had been raised as royal princesses but were then named bastards [More]

Katherine of Aragon: Princess of Wales

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Infanta Katherine of Aragon Birth: 15/16 December 1485, Palace of Bishop of Toledo Parents: Ferdinand II of Aragon & Isabella l of Castile Katherine of Aragon was named after her great-grandmother, Katherine of Lancaster - daughter of John of Gaunt and his second wife, Infanta Constance of Castile. Henry VII also descended from John of Gaunt and his third wife. John of Gaunt was son of Edward III. Technically speaking, Katherine of Aragon had a stronger claim [More]

Henry VII and the Princes in the Tower

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In 1483 Edward V and Richard, Duke of York disappeared from the Tower of London. They were the sons of the late Edward IV and his queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Edward V was born 2 November 1470 in Westminster Abbey where his mother had taken sanctuary from the Lancastrians who had deposed his father during the Wars of the Roses. His brother, Richard was born 17 August 1473 in Shrewsbury, England when Edward IV ruled over England once again. Shortly before his sudden dea [More]